[Maxmil]

It seems to me that what makes a driver "great" is the ability to score points on a consistent basis. All the rest somehow follows. The best measure of this ability that I can come up with is the number of points a driver scores divided by the number of starts he makes. The "Points per Start" measure makes it possible to compare active and retired drivers, as well as drivers who develop quickly and those who mature more slowly. It also permits comparisons between drivers whose careers are cut short and those who were/are fortunate enough to enjoy an extended career.

I calculated this number for close to thirty "great" F1 drivers all of whom made at least 30 starts between 1950 and today, and the results were as follows for the top nine, or those scoring more than 3 points per start:

Juan Fangio 5.44
Michael Schumacher 4.83 (And rising)
Alberto Ascari 4.38
Alain Prost 4.01
"Nino" Farina 3.86
Aerton Senna 3.81
Jimmy Clark 3.81
Jackie Stewart 3.64
Damon Hill 3.13

There are about twice as many drivers in the range from 1.95 - 2.99. Once you go below the 1.95 level the names are not nearly as familiar.

I found the most interesting thing about this exercise was the number of drivers (3) who started out in 1950 at age forty or more and still made the cut over 30 to 50 starts. Two of these, (Ascari and Farina) had distinquished pre WWII careers as well. The surprise was the margin by which Schumacher surpassed the other two active drivers on the list. David Coulthard 2.94 (And rising) and Mika Hakkinen 2.56 (And falling). The durability prise went to Riccardo Patrese with 256 starts, but, alas, only 281 points. Prost topped the points list with 798.5, but will very probably be overtaken by Schumacher who currently has 720.